Closure construction



Feb. 24, 1942. H. c. PORTER ,2 ,1

CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 18, 1941 INVENTOR HOWARD C. PORTf/P ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 24, 1942 Howard 0. Porter, South iiend, Ind., assignor to Bendix Home Appliances, Inc., South- Bend, Ind.; a corporationzof Delaware Application January is, 1941, Serial No. 374,976

This invention relates to a closure construction and is illustrated as embodied in a door and hinge construction for a cleaning machine.

One of the objects of the invention is to pryvide a closure construction which includes a door carrying a hinge pin whose ends are rotating of the door and to prevent shifting of the door parallel to the hinge pin.

Still another object of the invention is to pro-' vide a closure construction including a covered hinge plate, the cover of which extends between the plate and the closure. Such a cover not only protects the hinge against the entrance of foreign materials but also protects the closure against marring by engagement with the hinge parts and, in addition,- provides a pleasing appearance.

drum rotatably mounted in the tub andvhaving an opening in its end alined with an opening in the front (end 'of the tub.

. The opening in the front of the tub is closed by a door comprising a metal frame 14 having a glazed central portion l6 and formedwith a .lateral projecting portion IS. 'A tubular hinge pin 20 is rigidly carried by the projecting portion of the door and has end portions project-' ing beyond the door. The end portions of the hinge pin' 20 are cut away at one side throughout approximately half of the circumference to leave an axially projecting part 22 extending throughout half of the circumference of the pin.

Hinge plates 24 are connected to the front of the tub I0 by bolts 26 and are spaced from the tub by'washers 28. The hinge plates are formed of sheet metal strips bent around at one end to provide eylin'drical portions 30- rotatablyreceiving the ends of the hinge pin 20. At its outermost portion, each hinge plate is slit and off-set to form an inwardly projecting lug 32 extending into the-cut-away'portion of the hinge pin as best seenin Figures 3 and 4. The-lugs 32 engage shoulder portions 34 adjacent ends of the hinge pin to limit axial movement of the pin. Thus, the hinge plates and hinge pin in themselves limit movement of the door in a direction -Another object of the invention is to provide a closure construction-includinga door carrying a hinge pin whose ends are rotatably mounted in hinge plates and in which construction a decorative or protective finish on the door may extend over a .portion of the hinge pin, the hinge plates being so arranged as not'to engage the door or the finished portions of the pin.

The above and other objects and advantages of I the invention will be apparent from the following movement of the door.

in order to insure that the ends of the door por-v same general type as that more particularly described and claimed in the patent to Dodge No. 2,173,603, ad it includes a tub or cabinet Ill adapted to contain a cleaning liquid such as soap and water. The tub I 0 is mounted on a base l2 which contains driving mechanism for cleaning means in the tub. The cleaning means, not shown, preferably comprises a perforated parallel to the hinge pin and support the door with the portion l8 thereof spaced from the inner-most edges of the hinge plates. In addition, the lugs 32 extend between the circumferential edges of the pin portions 22, so that when the door is swung open one edge of each of the portions 22 will engage itslug to limit opening If it is desiredthat the door shall open freely without limitation, the hinge pin-may be cut off in alinement with the shoulder portions 34 so that the portions 22 will be omitted.

The door frame and the portion l8 thereof are preferably covered with a protective and decorative finish coating such as porcelain, and

tion I 8 are completely covered this coating extends for a short distance along the projecting end portions of the hinge pinflll as indicated by the line 36 in Figure '4. Due to the fact that the lugs 32 and the shoulders 34 maintain space between the hinge plates and the door portion Hi, the coated part of the hinge pin does not project within the hinge plates. This prevents cracking of the finish which might extend onto the door portion in the case of a brittle finish such as porcelain and also insures a smooth metal to metal contact between the hinge pin and the hinge plates.

The hinge plates are preferably covered for purposes of protection and to provide a more pleasing appearance. For this purpose, there are provided hinge covers of rubber or the like, indicated at 38, fitting over the hinge plates and having turned-in edges 40 fitting between the hinge plates and the outer tub surface. The covers 38 are closed over the outer edges of the hinge plates and at the inner portions are provided with openings to receive the hinge pin 20. These openings are defined by flanges d2 fitting between the hinge plates and the door portion 48 and engaging the coated portions of the hinge pin. In this way the uncoated portions of the hinge construction are completely covered so as to be protected from corrosive liquids or other foreign material and .so that a pleasing appearance is provided.

The door, opposite the hinge pin, carries a latch which is operated by a handle 55 and which engages with a latch plate covered by a similar rubber cover 436. When the latch is released, the door may be swung open to the extent permitted by engagement of the hinge pin parts 22 and the lugs 32, and likewise the door is held in closed position by the .latch.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that this is illustrative only and is not intended as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. A hinge composed of inner and outer generally cylindrical portions journaled one on the other, the inner cylindrical portion having an end-extension thereon, the outer surface of which is substantially semicylindrical in form, the edges of said end-extension forming abutments, the outer generally cylindrical portion having a lug thereon extending within the plane of the external wall of the inner cylindrical portion and adapted to engage one of said abutments'to limit the swing of the outer portion of the hinge on the inner portion thereof.

2. A hinge composed of two portions, one journaled within the other, the inner portion being tubular with 'a semi-tubular end-extension thereof forming two peripheral abutments, the outer portion having a lug thereon extending into the tubular inner portion, one face ofthe lug being adapted to engage one of said abutments and the opposite face of the lug being adapted to engage the other of said abutments to limit the ,swing of the hinge portions.

imposed flat portions for attachment to one of the members to be hinged together, said outer portion having an eye generally surrounding the inner portion, a lug' extending inwardly from the wall of said eye, the inner portion of said hinge having a generally cylindrical external surface on which the eye of the outer portion journals, a part of the inner portion of the hinge extending substantially the full length of the eye of the outer portion of the hinge and a part of the inner portion of the hinge falling short of the full length of the eye of the outer portion of the hinge, a shoulder at the edge of the short part of the inner portion of the hinge forming a ledge upon which said lug of the outer portion of the hinge engages to limit one of the relative axial-movements of the portions of the hinge.

4. A hinge composed of inner and outer portions, the outer portion being journaled on the inner portion, the outer portion having superim posedflat portions for attachment to one of the members to be hinged together, said outer portion having an eye generally surrounding the inner portion, a lug extending inwardly from the wall of said eye, the inner portion of said hinge having a generally cylindrical external surface on which the eye of the outer portion journals, 2. part of the inner portion of the hinge extending substantially the full length of the eye of the outer portion ofthe hinge and a part of the inner portion of the hinge falling short of the full length of the eye of the outer portion of the hinge, a shoulder at the edge of the short part of the inner portion of the hinge forming a ledge upon which said lug of the outer portion of the hinge engages to limit one of the relative axial movements of the portions of the hinge, said lug also being adapted to engage one or both of the edges of the full-length part of the inner portion of the hinge to limit the swing of the hinge portions.

' the edges of said end-extension forming abutments, the outer generally cylindrical portion having a lug thereon extending within the plane of the external wall of'the inner cylindrical portion and adapted to engage one of said abutments to limit the swing of the outer portion of the hinge on the inner portion thereof, and a flexible rubber cover extending over the exposed parts of said hinge andhaving a flat surface enclosing the open ends of the inner and outer portions of saidhinge to prevent an operator from 'becoming pinched between, said lug, and either of its abutments. v

HOWARD C. PORTER. 

